<p>Could someone that is familiar with the MS Finance in 4 Year Program (University Scholars) outline the requirements for getting into the program and the course milestones that need to be achieved in order to graduate with an MS Finance in four years? I’m trying to help chart out a potential long term schedule for my son.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>I don’t have the course requirement sheet with me, but the main difference with preparing to get a MSF is that your son would need to take Calculus II and Calculus III, though the latter is not specifically required. The requirements for the MSF are listed at [Graduate</a> Catalog: Section 7.4.7](<a href=“http://graduate.ua.edu/catalog/17900.html]Graduate”>http://graduate.ua.edu/catalog/17900.html) . Note that FI 510, 512, 515, and 522 are normally taken instead of their 400-level counterparts and will count for both the BS and MSF degrees. A dual major in Finance and Economics and a MSF will require 136 credits; a Finance major and an Economics or another minor with an MSF will require around 130 credits.</p>
<p>How many credits would be required for a straight Finance major BS (no minor) and MSF degree?</p>
<p>Incidentally, your help has been invaluable.</p>
<p>Finance majors are required to choose a major or specialization consisting of a minimum of 18 hours. The MSF may count for some of this requirement, but the list of degree checksheets [url=<a href=“Home - The Culverhouse College of Business”>Home - The Culverhouse College of Business]Majors[/url</a>] doesn’t include major combinations that include graduate programs, so I can’t tell for sure.</p>
<p>I may have said this before, but if your son was planning on doing a study abroad, that needs to be carefully planned so that it will count towards needed requirements.</p>
<p>Sea_tide: What is the process for admission into the 4 Year MSF program? The catalog refers to a “simplified admission process”, but isn’t clear on the process. Is MSF the only 4 year option? For instance, could you get a four year MBA? Thanks in advance for any insights you have.</p>
<p>The MBA is not included in the University Scholars program, so it is not an option for undergraduate students. In addition to the options offered by other departments and colleges, the Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies also offers an option to get a MA in Economics, usually with a data mining and statistics emphasis, though there are multiple versions of the the MA in Economics.</p>
<p>As for the simplified admission admissions process, it basically involves getting a 650+ on the GMAT (GRE scores are also accepted) and formerly applying to the program. I still have to take the GMAT or GRE this summer in order to start graduate courses in the fall.</p>
<p>Is that 650+ GMAT an absolute (hard) cutoff for admission into the program? It seems rather high to me. The mid-range GMAT in Manderson MBA program is 580-660 and mean is 628. While I understand this is not the MBA program, that sounds rather stiff for students that have already proven themselves with a high GPA in a rigorous Finance program.</p>
<p>I’ve asked why there is even a GMAT/GRE requirement as one would think that UA would know the strength of its undergraduate program and the fact that other University Scholars-participating departments only require a certain GPA and not the GMAT/GRE. All I’ve been told is that I should easily get a qualifying score. Oddly enough, I was able to get into a graduate-level course over the summer at another university by e-mailing an unofficial copy of my transcript to the instructor.</p>
<p>That seems like an extreme and unnecessary requirement given that you have already proven yourself in THEIR program and the other University Scholars do not have such a requirement. The GMAT is an equalizer for students coming from outside programs where things like grade inflation and quality of program may create an unlevel playing field among applicants. That situation does not apply to you as they know their own program and your success in that program is the best predictor of your success in the MS program. If you score a 640, which is above the MBA mean and around their top 30 percentile, are you any less qualified? It seems to me like you have better things to do than to prepare for the GMAT which is a predictor of how you will do on the next GMAT test and not much more.</p>
<p>So, can you get an MBA in 5 years? You need a 650 GMAT, what about gpa? Any prereq courses? I assume cal 125? anything else? S wants to keep all his options open at this point.</p>
<p>MABama: Other University Scholars programs do have GRE requirements. My son is getting a masters in economics. The math score requirement, in particular, was quite high (at least a 740 or above, I believe). He also needed three letters of recommendation and a personal statement.</p>
<p>The math score requirement, in particular, was quite high (at least a 740 or above, I believe).</p>
<p>While that sounds high, because we’re used to looking at SAT percentiles, a 740 Quantitative on the GRE is not “high”…it’s 80th percentile. A 780 is 89th percentile. A 800 in the Quantitative (math) is 94th percentile.</p>
<p>The Verbal section is the one that is hard to get a high score in. For instance, a 720 is 98th percentile. </p>
<p>It’s not unusual to see kids with what appears to be lopsided scores…such as 720 Quantitative, and 560 Verbal…but both scores have a similar percentile (around 75 percentile).</p>